It has an output capacity of 20 kilowatts. The NQC-A302 unit has a 30kW capacity but weighs 375 pounds. The output voltage is 50 to 500 volts DC.

The company says the chargers are half the weight and size of existing models but still meet standards set by CHAdeMo, a rapid-charge association led by Tokyo Electric Power Company and Japanese automakers.

The chargers will be aimed at car dealerships and other customers. They will hit the market in October and will sell for 1.89 million to 2.1 million yen ($24,500 to 27,220), the Nikkei newspaper reported.

As of last month, there were nearly 800 CHAdeMo rapid-charge stations on the road, with the vast majority in Japan.

Nichicon has also produced on-board chargers for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV as well as the Nissan Leaf. Both cars can be recharged with Nichicon's latest chargers.

About the author

Crave freelancer Tim Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots." He has been writing about Japanese culture and technology for a decade. E-mail Tim.
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